[ProjectMangler]

There HAS to be a story about why they put it on the wrong end of the car. Anybody know it? Anybody want to make one up?

 

[poohbah]

I heard so the surfers (that were supposed to buy this car in droves) could stand up in the back and change their clothes! Who knows.

My kids love it, however.

 

[Jojo]

I heard so the surfers (that were supposed to buy this car in droves) could stand up in the back and change their clothes! Who knows.

My kids love it, however.

When you sleep in the back you can watch the stars

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[supermaruchi]

When you sleep in the back you can watch the stars

Wow that was exactly what I thought it was primarily for besides venting out the back?

 

[chefjames]

In the earlier Element brochure, it showed a guy laying down and watching the stars through the rear sunroof.

 

[ProjectMangler]

In the earlier Element brochure, it showed a guy laying down and watching the stars through the rear sunroof.

Yeah, I remember that, but seriously, how much time do you guys spend sleeping in the back of your E? Have these guys ever heard of focus groups? I can't believe there was rousing approval from the masses to stick it in the way back.

A friend of mine bought the first E that arrived in our county. He drove it to Death Valley, went out to a dry lake bed and set the cruise control, then stood up out of the sunroof and while the E went on it's merry way. Sure, it's fun, but again, how often are you going to be cruising rudderless across an empty lake? Wouldn't surprise me if that was the last time he took the glass out.

 

[scorsone]

The early concept of the E also had the rear roof line open like the GMC envoy so you could load tall objects like a fridge in the back. Unfortunately that was scrapped, probably to reduce cost.

Personally, I love the rear sunroof. It is out of my E right now. My kids love it and when you take it out and open the front windows and the pop-outs it really cuts down on the turbulence of the wind inside the E. I have also carried many trees home from the nursery with them standing out of the back.

 

[pea]

It just would have been so much nicer if it was electric like normal sunroofs, or at least a crank, but cranks into the roof like the sunroof on our old vw bus (not taking the glass out!). The only reason I can guess why there are manual popouts and manual roof is for when you are in rear, power off, you can open the windows. My daughter does like to look out of it, and really gets a kick out of it when I throw food for birds up on the roof and they land on it. (ok, E abuse, but shhh don't tell anyone;-)) Please accept my apology if this was just a run-on sentence. I have had a looooong day and am toasted.

 

[fly104857]

I thought it was for when you drive w/ your Great Danes around town.

 

[fcz1]

I'm going with the camping/sleeping in your car excuse. Then it would make a little sense as to why it is only on the AWD models.

 

[Brawsie]

I thought it was a photocopier. So I dropped my pants and sat down on it. Shoulda seen the sales guy's face. My wife still has nightmares about it.

This should help answer your focus group comment.

 

[g2ichris]

because people who drive AWD are more likely to go camping/ sleeping in their Elements.

 

[Bowzer]

Well, I would absolutely LOVE to install a front sunroof and maybe will one day when I have a thousand or so laying around. But until then, my kids love the backseat view with it and I've had it out probably 2 dozen times since purchased in December. But, as the heat builds here in the South, it will probably remain in place most of the next 6 months (Southern Summer) except for an evening or two here and there.

The convenience of power or a crank would be nice but since I'm keeping this box for the long haul, I'll take the compromise of simplicity and durability.

 

[antirocked]

i heard somewhere it has to do with the suicide doors. something like it would weaken the structure if it was in the front. or maybe because the E is in a world of its own.

 

[scarder]

As-is the sunroof in the E is completely useless for me. It should be power. I never use it. Honda should have figured out a way to add one in the front.

 

[ZOMBIEinvader]

I love the sun roof. It's freakin awesome. I rarely have to use my AC. I crack the sun roof open in back so ther is great airflow from front to back through the vents or my front windows.
When the sun roof is in the front it constricts the air flow.

 

[oceanspray]

I was told by an employee from honda it was for surf boards to stick out.

 

[tkobrian]

Well, I would absolutely LOVE to install a front sunroof and maybe will one day when I have a thousand or so laying around. But until then, my kids love the backseat view with it and I've had it out probably 2 dozen times since purchased in December. But, as the heat builds here in the South, it will probably remain in place most of the next 6 months (Southern Summer) except for an evening or two here and there.

The convenience of power or a crank would be nice but since I'm keeping this box for the long haul, I'll take the compromise of simplicity and durability.

My kid loves looking out mine too. FYI, this will be my 3rd Texas Summer w/an E. Go get some metallic tint put on the sunroof ASAP. Reflects the heat without darkening the glass so the kiddo's can still see out of it yet the sun never cooks them. Did that on my 06 that had dealer installed regular tint on the side windows & less heat came in from the sunroof than the side windows when parked in full sun. Seriously you could hold your hand up to the glass and tell a HUGE difference between regular & metallic tint. I used huper-optik, but I hear the 3M stuff is pretty good too.

For me, the genius of the rear sunroof is when I put funky been riding a bike for 4 hours in Texas summer heat biking clothes in the back. :twisted:I leave my shoes & helmet in it and if I have the sunroof open overnight all the smell seems to go right out the sunroof. :???: Used the wife's minivan one day last week. Even with the rear side window open it smell like a locker room for days!

 

[scorsone]

It has been mentioned before but a power sunroof or crank style would eat up some of the head room in the E.

There have been several members here who have installed various types of sunroofs and they all look great. There are always options.

 

[Brawsie]

It has been mentioned before but a power sunroof or crank style would eat up some of the head room in the E.

There have been several members here who have installed various types of sunroofs and they all look great. There are always options.

I think honda has it backards. Put the power roof in the back of the E and the cranker in the civics.